1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tire/wheel structure, and in particular to a tire or a wheel that serves as a driving tire or wheel of a vehicle and comprises a plurality of guide blocks and airflow-assisting grooves to enhance airflow guide, reduce wind resistance, and generate an assistive driving force in a forward rotation direction of the tire or wheel.
2. The Related Arts
A tire has a tread on which a complicated pattern of tread blocks is formed to improve grip and slipperiness resistance. This inevitably induces an increased friction resistance and wind resistance on the tire. A negative effect may result for the forward rotation of the tire. Further, for long term driving of an automobile, more consumption of fuel and energy may result. For the contemporary era when energy conservation is desired, such a conventional tire structure may cause an additional burden of fuel consumption of the automobile.
Prior art patent documents of the field are available, such as Taiwan Utility Model M362122, which discloses a carbon fiber wheel rim that reduces sideway wind resistance, Taiwan Patent No. 1262859, which discloses an enhanced improvement of a piercing-resistant and explosion resistant rim of tire, and Taiwan Utility Model 254216, which discloses a novel wheel rim. They all provide modifications of the structures of automobile wheel rims or tires and generally for the purposes of reducing wind resistance or generating a movement-assisting effect. However, such modifications may not be applicable to all kinds of vehicle, for the disk brakes or drum brakes of automobiles available from different manufacturers may not be exactly the same. For example, some models of automobile may not allow for any projections or recesses formed outside or inside a rim in order to avoid interference with the disk brakes or drum brakes, which may lead to being unable to install properly. Further, such known patent documents require the rims to be replaced or modified. The cost for manufacture, replacement, and maintenance may be excessively high, making it not economic for industrial use, and further, surfaces of the wheel or the rim of these known patent documents that can help reducing wind resistance and providing assistance for forward moving are limited to the two side surfaces and such effects cannot be provided by the tread surface of the wheel or tire.
Further, Taiwan Patent Publication No. 201040041, which discloses a combination of “daughter tire and mother tire”. Such a combination provides an advantage of individually replacing either the daughter tire or the mother tire for whichever that has been worn out. However, it provides no help in reducing tire wind resistance and fuel saving.